Friday, 9 November 2018

Easy ways to make your home feel warm and cosy for winter | AD

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to make your home feel warm. In fact, it is more than possible for you really get that cosy feel even if you are on a very small budget.

It’s All About Layers

A lot of interior designers will agree with this. One of the fastest ways for you to make a space feel way more warm and inviting would be for you to create layers. Consider doing this with blankets and even pillows around the home. If you have a leather sofa, consider investing in a throw. You can then add various pillows to try and make the sofa more comfortable and this is a fantastic way for you to prepare for the colder weather. When choosing your cushions, make sure that you don’t choose ones that are all the same size and shape. Mix things up a bit, so you can create the feeling of comfort without making the room feel too cluttered.

Warm Colours

Nothing warms up a room like a new lick of paint. You can completely transform the look and feel of a room just by changing the colour, and this can have a significant impact on how cosy it is as well. When choosing the colour of paint for a room, you need to take into account the room’s purpose. Think about it, is the room going to be used for studying and work? If so then try and opt for a nice shade of yellow. You can also go for a neutral brown or a shade of orange. This will make the room feel warm without it feeling overbearing. If you are decorating the living room on the other hand then it may be worth opting for a deeper shade, such as red. When you do this, make sure that you limit it to one or two walls. If you don’t then you may end up making it feel dark and cold, and this will make it the opposite of cosy.

Soft Rugs

Not only will a rug make a room look warmer, it will make it feel warmer as well. When choosing a rug, try and find one that is nice and big. You also need to choose a long-haired one if possible. This will add a lot of comfort to a room and if you have laminate then it will also stop your feet from touching the cold floor when you go downstairs in the morning. Another great thing about rugs is that they retain heat, so they will literally be warming your space up as well. Of course, if you are having some difficulty choosing a rug then try and look at the colour scheme that is in the room right now. What do you see? If you see browns and creams then consider going for a brown rug. If possible, you should always go for the darkest shade you can because it will stop stains from showing up and it will also make it much easier for you to clean. It will also add contrast to the room as well, which is always a good thing.

Curtains

Curtains can radically change a room. If you can, opt for slightly darker curtains. This can include deep brown or even red. This will make the room feel super cosy when it is snowing outside and it will also help you to retain heat. If you are worried about having darker curtains because you don’t want to block too much light then you have nothing to worry about. There are so many types available for you to choose from and some of them are designed to let in as much light as possible, so you can get all the comfort of having darker colours without having to worry about compromising the look and feel of your home.

Artwork is now very easy to come by and you would be surprised at how much it could completely transform your room as well. You don’t have to go out and invest in something luxurious such as Picasso or even Van Gogh either, because there are now endless options out there for you to choose from if you are on a budget. When choosing art, try and make sure that it blends in with the room and also take into account the colour palette the artist has used. If you can try and match it in with what you have now then that’s great, and it can really help you to take up some of that open wall space. If you can’t afford art then consider framing some of your family photos and put them up. You can even print some of them off yourself if you have some high-quality photo paper and some cheap ink cartridges, so this is another way that you can save money when you are on a budget.

Candles

Nothing says comfort like a few candles. When it’s snowing and bitterly cold outside, you can light them and instantly feel warm and cosy. The best thing about candles is that they can completely transform the look and feel of any home, and their soft glow means that you can just have them in the background without them becoming a focal point of the room. When choosing your candles, it is a good idea for you to choose scented ones. The main reason for this is because it will help you to spread a lovely smell throughout your home and it can also help you to relax more as well. There are so many winter scents for you to choose from and some of them are more comforting than others, so go through them all and find one that you really like. It’s also a good idea for you to get different candles for different rooms as well. For example, the one that you have in the living room may not be suited to the bedroom, and so forth.